Ep.248: Glenn Peterson, Canuvo

Ep.248: Glenn Peterson, Canuvo

Exempted from having to go to high school, Glenn Peterson instead went to a work-study school which he says was a wonderful place. He was involved in politics nearly from the jump- having a friendship with Mark Udall and the Udall family. An eagle scout, the concept of being employed made no sense to him. Glenn says he’s pretty conservative and essentially libertarian but politically he considers himself a cell of one. Glenn is completely enigmatic. When he mentions that he knows how to throw blades and catch them without cutting himself…in his case, that’s a fact as well as an extremely well imagined metaphor. After trying his hand at being a private investigator, he demonstrated a knack for business through real estate, his success eventually led him to cannabis.

Transcript:

Speaker 1: exempted from having to go to high school. Glen Peterson instead went to a work study school, which he says was a wonderful place. He was involved in politics nearly from the jump, having a friendship with Mark Udall and Udall family, an eagle scout. The concept of being employed made no sense to him. Glen says he's pretty conservative and essentially libertarian, but politically he considers himself a sell of one. Glenn is completely enigmatic when he mentioned that he knows how to throw blades and capstone without cutting himself in his case. That's a fact as well as an extremely well imagined metaphor after trying his hand at being a private investigator who demonstrated a knack for business to real estate is success, eventually led him to cannabis. Welcome to cannabis economy. I'm your host Seth Adler. Check us out on social with the Hana can economy. That's two ends in the world economy, the one and only lend Peterson. I feel like

Speaker 3: you just said, I have interesting stories when and you know you can't judge a book by its cover, but I want to judge the book by its cover. Glen Peterson. Thank you for having me. I'm here. I'm glad you're here. So when I say can't judge a book by its cover, you have a very specific, you know, look. And it's fascinating and it's, it's one that I want to know more about when I see your face. When I, when we sat down for dinner my probably a year and a half, two years ago now. I was like, what? Who's that guy? I want to know that guy. Well, I, I had an interesting upbringing I guess that was very

Speaker 4: heavily involved with boy scouts and was an eagle scout and was three or four sports each year and at the end of my sophomore year in high school I got elected to a student advisory council and then from that council to Estate Student Advisory Council and the chairman of that council was a full voting member of the State Board of Education in Massachusetts. It was how they chose that seats and actually Charlie Baker was the year behind me. You have that seat on the board of education who is now the governor of Massachusetts. So I get exempted from having to go to high school, I could see myself out at anytime and, and just had to keep up with the work, but I wasn't required to go. Um, so I thought she's, this is an interesting thing that you can have all kinds of alternatives to, um, but went to school in Ohio at Antioch College and that's a work study school, a good drugs, loose women.

Speaker 4: That was a wonderful place and, but I would be unclear one campus and collapsing somewhere else. Uh, the other nine months I did political politics as I'm more shoot almost national staff and 76 running his, a progressional district campaigns around the country. And I got that because mark, you'd always, my Kayak instructor and I saw a sticker on the back of his van and you'd offer president. And I said, what's that? He said, Oh, that's my dad and but I needed a job. And so he set me up with the campaign and they looked at me because I had long hair and a long period of time and they said, we can't put you in the public.

Speaker 1: exempted from having to go to high school. Glen Peterson instead went to a work study school, which he says was a wonderful place. He was involved in politics nearly from the jump, having a friendship with Mark Udall and Udall family, an eagle scout. The concept of being employed made no sense to him. Glen says he's pretty conservative and essentially libertarian, but politically he considers himself a sell of one. Glenn is completely enigmatic when he mentioned that he knows how to throw blades and capstone without cutting himself in his case. That's a fact as well as an extremely well imagined metaphor after trying his hand at being a private investigator who demonstrated a knack for business to real estate is success, eventually led him to cannabis. Welcome to cannabis economy. I'm your host Seth Adler. Check us out on social with the Hana can economy. That's two ends in the world economy, the one and only lend Peterson. I feel like

Speaker 3: you just said, I have interesting stories when and you know you can't judge a book by its cover, but I want to judge the book by its cover. Glen Peterson. Thank you for having me. I'm here. I'm glad you're here. So when I say can't judge a book by its cover, you have a very specific, you know, look. And it's fascinating and it's, it's one that I want to know more about when I see your face. When I, when we sat down for dinner my probably a year and a half, two years ago now. I was like, what? Who's that guy? I want to know that guy. Well, I, I had an interesting upbringing I guess that was very

Speaker 4: heavily involved with boy scouts and was an eagle scout and was three or four sports each year and at the end of my sophomore year in high school I got elected to a student advisory council and then from that council to Estate Student Advisory Council and the chairman of that council was a full voting member of the State Board of Education in Massachusetts. It was how they chose that seats and actually Charlie Baker was the year behind me. You have that seat on the board of education who is now the governor of Massachusetts. So I get exempted from having to go to high school, I could see myself out at anytime and, and just had to keep up with the work, but I wasn't required to go. Um, so I thought she's, this is an interesting thing that you can have all kinds of alternatives to, um, but went to school in Ohio at Antioch College and that's a work study school, a good drugs, loose women.

Speaker 4: That was a wonderful place and, but I would be unclear one campus and collapsing somewhere else. Uh, the other nine months I did political politics as I'm more shoot almost national staff and 76 running his, a progressional district campaigns around the country. And I got that because mark, you'd always, my Kayak instructor and I saw a sticker on the back of his van and you'd offer president. And I said, what's that? He said, Oh, that's my dad and but I needed a job. And so he set me up with the campaign and they looked at me because I had long hair and a long period of time and they said, we can't put you in the public.

Speaker 3: Uh, you can drive out there, you can drive literature around the state of New Hampshire for us. And then they said, oh, well

Speaker 4: Jesus, we have five towns we've written off and we'll give you those five towns to organize. And I got five percent of the total vote out of those times they had written up and they said, oh, well how'd you like to continue with the service?

Speaker 3: Because we know that you can do so

Speaker 4: continued on with that for another eight or nine states. And so it was how I cut my teeth.

Speaker 3: Yeah. So that dots the landscape, let's kind of go back and make sure we understand this whole thing. So, so boy scouts, that's, that starts out when you're a kid. So our year a mainer right? You're from me. No, I'm a masshole actually. Visually because I hear the accent. I don't know which way it comes from and which way it goes a bit of a period

Speaker 4: years. Now

Speaker 3: you consider yourself a mainer now?

Speaker 4: Well, I live up here, but you never had a true mainer unless you're born here.

Speaker 3: Got It. And so that's why you call yourself a masshole. Being honest. We're in Massachusetts today.

Speaker 4: I grew up in weymouth. Where's that? It's a sure. South of Boston, a blue collar town, and we have businesses and braintree and help start a charter school down in whole and

Speaker 3: the charter school. This is before charter schools. Charter schools, right?

Speaker 4: Yeah. This is a 22 years ago,

Speaker 3: but that's after you had grown up a little bit like who brought you into the boy scouts? Was that your, your folks to your father?

Speaker 4: It was a neighborhood thing. Then when you had a very strong presence in the neighborhood and all the lads were in it and you started in cub scouts, the boy scouts and then summer camp and then being a employee at the summer camp and having aquatic schools and just winter camping and all that great stuff.

Speaker 3: This, this was huge for you because you still call yourself a boy scout or cub scout? Eagle Scout, Eagle Scout, which is the best scout, right. Alright. So I learned how to tie knots. I'm going to admit to you right now, you can already tell, I'm sure that I'm not anywhere near an eagle scout or any kind of scout tie knots and all of that and all the functional kind of knowledge, but also it's a way of thinking. Is that right?

Speaker 3: no, those are, those are the good words. So that's what I want to be. Certainly. And so how much of a, you know, the training in a way becoming an eagle scout is mental versus physical is functional versus kind of emotional.

Speaker 4: I just like to collect skills in the hospital and that's what merit badges were. And I've always been self employed and sort of you're self employed. You have to be clever and do the work yourself. And because it made no sense to me to work for someone to make money, to hire people to do things for me, it just. So

Speaker 3: the whole thing didn't make sense to you. I'd rather live in my truck,

Speaker 4: do what I want. And then are you married? Well, I married up,

Speaker 3: yes. I just met your lovely bride as you call her better. Seven eights. Yes. Yeah. So now that's. Yeah, a lot of people say better half. You say seven eights. You leave yourself an eighth just because. Well she'll say 15. 16. You have some skin in the game, right? Yeah, you're here. So we got a nipple. Least recognize that. So Eagle Scout, you like collecting skills you like to learn? Um, how did you kind of beat you go eagle scout too. You know what? I don't have to go to, to high school. How did you take that path? Because you're the perfect person, right? You know, we don't know each other very well, but for you to say, you know, I found a way to not have to go to high school everyday. You're the guy, right? Glenn is the person that that would happen too or that very, but not even that. It's just the mindset of kind of approaching things from a, an alternative, a standpoint. So was that the goal or did that just kind of happen when you, when you got that

Speaker 4: role? I was in high school, it was a leather apprentice. You would make a leather clothing and leather bags and saddlebags for motorcyclists and uh, was a, a great eye opening experience for me. And that was the first time I smoked cannabis was 16, working at the leather shop and being creative and to open my eyes wide. And uh, then I got arrested when I was 18. It was at Antioch in Ohio had come back to pick up my van and I got pulled over for speeding and they said, oh, you've got a lot of juvenile record kid, which wasn't true at all because of that we're going to search your vehicle and it doesn't join and said rolled for the trip and lots of seeds. And so I get charged with possession drive without a license. Speeding. And the. I went back to Ohio.

Speaker 3: So this is when you had the long hair. The long beard. Right. And so they were judging a book by its cover to, to return to our earlier, a kind of approach and they just justified that themselves. That was not true in any way.

Speaker 4: Yeah. So the first trial they dropped all charges because the arresting officer didn't show up. And when I got back to Ohio they said my attorneys, they reinstated the charges because the arresting officer showed up afterwards. And a new trial date is this. And I said cheese some 18, but that sounds like double jeopardy. I'm not coming back. Uh, they wanted to charge me for not showing up at the second trial. Additional charges will all come back to that and deal with the whole thing, but I'm not going back to this. And they dropped the charges at the second trial and I thought I am never going to have to pee in anyone's cup. I am just going to do what I want. And I believe debt is slavery and I, I just have the skills to do what I want.

Speaker 3: So this is, this gets into cannier political philosophy, which I believe is a libertarian, what you call it.

Speaker 4: Oh, I was selling one, right? I was a large Ron Paul supporter short and

Speaker 3: I was saying before that, I mean it's, it seems like socially liberal basically, right? Fiscally conservative. Maybe you tell me,

Speaker 4: Oh, I'm a pretty conservative, I think through how I believe in personal sovereignty and we a free men and women and, and I'm not for lots of rules and regulations, so I'm a, I fall in that Republican side just because that's a more natural segue for me. Right.

Speaker 3: That's, that's where you go. That's where you wind up. If you want to have anything done basically,

Speaker 4: well you have to play the game. You have to be part of. There's not many people who can chat with the Republican side of things. I'm like, I can donate to the Republican Party. I donate to Republican main officials.

Speaker 3: I mean in our community. Uh, so in cannabis. So there's, there are definitely kind of folks that come from the right. Um, but as far as kind of those relationships, you're, you're, you're a good person to have in that camp, which gets to back to the udl stuff. Right? So how did you find the udalls here in, in New Hampshire? How did that all happen?

Speaker 4: Oh, it was having mark Udall, who's former US senator from Colorado is Kayak instructor.

Speaker 3: So he was literally your Kayak instructor? Yeah. Alright. And so, uh, what was he teaching you? Uh, as far as kayaking and how did that become an actual relationship? Because, you know, I've had kayak instructor so I didn't learn anything. I don't know how to Kayak and I certainly didn't create a relationship. So you know what, what Kinda happened?

Speaker 4: Well he was roughly a, just a couple years older than the people he was teaching and I learned how to do an Eskimo roll and my first attempt at which is going right back up, or you start up a upside down, you've got to use the paddle is leverage and rate yourself so you don't have to get spilled out of the Kayak and the old kayak accident scripts on it. And you're all waterproofed up instead of these new ones. Like people who sit in canoes, you don't sit in the canoe.

Speaker 3: Neil and I knew J. stroke is. And so when, when folks are doing something wrong, in other words, if I don't do something the right way, that's extremely frustrating for you. Is that fair? No matter what I'm talking about, you know, if, if I'm bagging your groceries and I'm not doing it the right way, I would imagine that that would really get under your skin. Right?

Speaker 4: My family does a, the wwjd what would glen do? They actually thanked me for it. I, I'm a process guy. I, I, I, I have done a lot of different things and I know how to throw blades, not the catch them without cutting myself. I just know there's proper ways to do things like toilet paper and goes over the top

Speaker 3: know, constantly turning his rolls around going. I'm a big guy and trying to fish it off the back porch. So. But I would imagine folks here and folks at home as well know to go over at the top at this point now because what's more frustrating than that in life. All right, so, so this kind of constructed becomes your friend, you, you kind of get ingrained into the Udall a thing you said you had success kind of, um, uh, well, it sounds like community organizing, right? So I'm using those words on purpose. It did, do you feel that that's what you were doing a intern in five percent of his total vote?

Speaker 4: It was, it is community organizing. Um, but I'm a generalist. I just, I pick up skills, they do things. I guess that's what it was. It was getting out the vote and dropping literature and just uh, you have to do certain things to get enough

Speaker 3: souls to the polls. What do you remember the messaging, you know, because everything here is rich in, in, you know, being able to make things happen politically. So do you remember that? A messaging from what from, from that campaign for two years ago now I'm afraid, but you got them to act is what you did. All right. And so, uh, obviously not a successful campaign. We know that from just, you know, uh, uh, looking at history second place, what's that? We've got coming in second second, which is a, which is okay for Avis, but it's not going to work for a political candidate. Where did you go from there and you know, you had. Now here's a guy, obviously he's a generalist. He likes to do a lot of stuff. We know he knows how to Kayak and we know he knows how to tie a knot. Now we know he knows how to get folks, uh, uh, you know, to vote for us. We've elevated in, within the campaign but not a successful campaign. What happens to glance?

Speaker 4: Alright, start buying three families. And uh, when I started doing private investigation,

Speaker 3: okay, I can't wait to talk about the private investigation. I don't know what three families are. So I think that you're talking about people buying a rental unit. Three families were indeed. So you did. Was this in New Hampshire? Where were you in geographically? We were buying

Speaker 4: a three families in Chelsea, mass, which was a very third world country. It was so corrupt. The state police had to take over the policing of the city because the cops are corrupt. And it was, uh, an affordable spot for us

Speaker 3: shirts. I've just got to say, I mean the price is, must have been great, but why did you feel that this was a place to invest?

Speaker 4: Well, it, it, even though the interest rates I think were like in the 13 percent, it was five percent down, so $2,400 down. Hi. And it through $1,000. Positive cash flow monthly. And so you get your money back in two and a half months and then you move in, now you're making 400 a month and living free. And we hit it right? So we sold it for 100,000 more than we had paid for it 18 months later. And if you have a grub stake in your pocket, what does that? Well, enough of a bank roll that you can do what you want. Then you start to do what you want.

Speaker 3: So it was to get to the grubstake

Speaker 4: we were dealing. Yeah. You, you need operating capital. And so that was our operating capital.

Speaker 3: Got It. Alright. So now there's the three families. When, when do you turn to a private investigation? By the way, if you're still doing it, I wouldn't be surprised. I think that, that sounds like a perfect job for you. Right? Was it

Speaker 4: what? Um, no, it was. Well it was pre internet so I'd go through people's trash may follow them, go to their homes and say that the landlord wanted me to put a bid on painting the unit, talk to the wife and go into what's your husband do and call them up and free text. And it was old school gum shoe and a lot of public records should be at City Hall.

Speaker 3: This is like Chinatown. I mean this year, Jake. And you saw that movie, I'm sure. Right? Um, how did you get into that? You know? Yes, your personality is perfect for it, but how did they, how did they, did it all line up for you because they saw an ad of some. Okay.

Speaker 4: It was just an opportunity and I thought it was doing a little repo work a side and it was interesting. How long were you able to do that for? Oh, it was three years. Say you get tired of it, I'm sure. Oh yeah. It's a young man's sport,

Speaker 3: right? Why? What? Just because, uh, it become. Why, why, why does it become so tiresome so quickly?

Speaker 4: Uh, because you couldn't be one surveillance for 12 hours a day and follow them and trying to tell someone inconspicuously is kind of a chore and Follow Them Hundreds of miles and just, uh, it's, it's a grueling,

Speaker 3: I would imagine. Now, let me ask you this question. I've been dying to ask someone who might know the answer when I watch a movie or television show and uh, you know, the, the guy gets to the place and the other guy says, where you tailed? And he says, no, I always think to myself, well, how do you know? You're wondering why, how, how can you be so sure?

Speaker 4: Well, you'd have to do a couple of turns around the block. You have to ascertain these things and you know, so it, it, you can see if you were tailed, but unless you're paying attention, that's the only way to do it.

Speaker 3: Got It. And you would also be able to check where the folks would be that we're telling you because you have failed in the past yourself, I guess

Speaker 4: rear view mirror. A lot of cars are behind me and you know you can.

Speaker 3: Is that still to this day? Do you still own your consistently aware of your surroundings? Is that fair? Too much, yes. Too much. Well, let's, let's, let's kind of take that tangent. And you know, is, are you, do you think that it's because of your industry? Do you think it's because of your personality? Do you think it's a combination of the two? Do you think that you should be. You said too much, but I know that you believe that you should at least be certainly aware, right? As far as this kind of a vantage point on life, where do you come out? You know, I, it's a long question, but basically what I'm saying is you're paranoid and you think you're too paranoid. Whereas I don't think I'm paranoid. That's why I asked it in such a roundabout way.

Speaker 4: Yeah. No, I, I just liked to be aware of everything. And that's why I wanted to run for the board of directors at Ncia so I can get that higher level perspective. It's why I go to as many events in Maine with caregivers and legislators. And I like to be in the know. Yes, it was a lot of battles to fight. So 360 degree a battle here. So.

Speaker 3: Yeah. And so you've got to know all points. Let's get from a private investigation to cannabis. How many dots are there in between?

Speaker 4: Uh, well my wife comes from a corporate background and so I was sort of a house dad shirt and my daughter was a fest spin so I built the drama sets for her. The greatest, I'm sure that you had a lot of fun doing that right now. Very Fun. And my son was a very gifted athlete from the age six to 12. And so I was his trainer and Frisk on the court with the ice and um, and then there was a chairman of the board select them in my town for a couple of years. And what was that? Like? City Council. But we call them select men up here and a second, third year of my three year term, I was chairman of the board and that gives you a whole ability to be on camera for four or five hours every other week and be able to think on your feet and engage policy. And

Speaker 3: what were your learnings from that because obviously that helps with, you know, what you're doing now and everything as far as being a selectman you get into the second and third year. What did you started to realize about that type of office?

Speaker 4: Uh, well it was funny. I ran only because I wanted there to be an alternative on the ballot. There were two incumbents running for two seats and I thought, Oh, I can get 25 signatures and I win. Oh my goodness,

Speaker 3: I love that. You just want another name there and then you win. Turns out a lot of other people wanted another name there. Right.

Speaker 4: Is it to turn it out? Yes. The town, once you start to look deeply, and the guy I'd be was a department head in a selectman was a conflict of interest. It's not allowed, but no one ever asked the question. Right. And I knew there was a black hole and the town's somehow and I couldn't figure out what it was, but you can tell, but this gravitational pull on other objects and it was funny. The town manager kept saying, he's too busy and he couldn't provide me with information. Get that to you in a couple of weeks. We forgot. And I thought, Jeez, let's see what you do in your day. And I noticed that he goes to the post office down the road and citizens card goes through the mail price back. And I said, Dick, I'm going to save you a half hour every day. I'm going to have the mail delivered to the town hall.

Speaker 4: And then I took the post office box every time, gave it up and after a year, anything that uh, gets with that post office box, they just delivered to you. It's addressed to wood. And I had left the board after he had been off for a year. And all of a sudden there's a letter from an attorney saying, Geez, Poland springs once it's five and a half million dollar tif fund return to it now. And that was the black hole. They had taken a cif is tax incentive financing. You are c'est x. and um, but you cut a deal and you say, okay, you'll pay the full amount, but we'll return 90 percent to you for the first five years. Eighty percent of it, or if you don't return it, then it's supposed to be in a segregated interest bearing account for you. Set aside. Well, the town took it and put it into the general fund and spent it all. And we didn't have the five and a half a million. And uh, so that was, that was one of the things that finally I was able to figure out what was going on and get the town where you evaluated because we have five major lakes in the town and the people on the water, we're paying 40 percent of value when they were 90 percent of them. Lakefront owners were out of staters or second homeowners. Well, we needed to reevaluate the talent, so as were my two accomplishments,

Speaker 3: right? Yeah. Obviously ferreting out, you know, what's actually going on here and then fixing it is the, is the key. Those are the two keys. So that's what you're doing is as, as a, as you say, as a House Dad, when, when does cannabis come into this? You know, obviously you mentioned, you know, when you were 16, you kind of got introduced to the plant as many of us do just because when did this whole thing start?

Speaker 4: I never stopped after I started in [inaudible] 16.

Speaker 3: Sure. Yeah. But that, that would be as a adult, use it, try to adult use, uh, you know,

Speaker 4: it focused me because I'm attracted to shiny objects. I find if I consume a little cannabis, I can zone in on one project and finished that and not be as distracted as I normally am.

Speaker 3: There you go. And that's the wellness that we'd like to talk about whether you're a medical patient or not. Uh, so it was focusing. You say you had a, actually an intimate relationship with the plan. When did this, uh, you know, kind of a potential business, when did this hit you as a potential business as you being a part of it being a potential career?

Speaker 4: Well, after nine,

Speaker 3: so that's when the regulations came in. So it wasn't a of them for

Speaker 4: that? No, no. We had kids at home. It was doing stuff that I was trading currency and writing newsletters and, and this opportunity came up and I thought, uh, be more fun than trading currency because that's another young mans sport because you've got to be quick, right? Well you, you, you want the volatility in the markets. And so between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM, you have three major markets open. And then I wrote a newsletter at noontime and then another one at 9:00 PM. So it, it

Speaker 3: all day constant 24 hours out that, that'll only last so long. So, uh, did you apply for one of the licenses? That's right. I guess what must have happened

Speaker 4: in the first round, we applied for, of licenses in Maine. It was a competitive application. You're scored on all the different components but you only applied per district. And we came in third in art district, but overall we came in fifth and wellness gut for the licenses. So there were two license says that were not awarded and they a second round and we submitted an application for that. And one the first district here. What is it? The name, what can you vote? Why, why we were a main medical marijuana supply initially. It's a lot. And then we said, well, safe harbored sounds like a good name.

Speaker 3: And having harbor in the name can't hurt. Right?

Speaker 4: I was at, I think the first, uh, Mj business conference in New York. And I ran into Steve de Angelo and we're getting out getting along fine. And I said, Oh, am I dispensary is called safe harbor. And said, well, I've already successfully sued to safe harbor.

Speaker 3: Maybe I have not started to brand. Let's rethink it. So.

Speaker 4: And we came up with Penn Nouveau it. Uh, my wife was the first search engine optimization sales person. She created the industry a along with Frederick Marchini. And so we wanted something that's searched well and we went through dictionaries and it's like cannabis new bowl. Uh, and it was a six letter word that we'd get a url and when you looked up Nuba there was nothing. And so his name's served as well. And thank you Steve for intervening.

Speaker 3: Yeah, for telling me not to do that. Right. You know. Um, so, so there you go. You have your, uh, your brand, it puts you on the map. You got the license. When did you find out that

Speaker 4: this is difficult? Oh, a day one because we weren't, we weren't planning on winning the license, we just, there were 12 other applicants and

Speaker 3: this ballot needs another name on it

Speaker 4: when they called and said you won, we sit down, what are we going to do now? Uh, so that was a start and found a condominium that was seven small rooms was in the right zone in Biddeford, had particular zoning for dispensary's and we were able to purchase it. And uh, we started there and that's how we developed a small room technique because it was just small rooms there.

Speaker 3: So instead of a counter just to share, instead of the counter, you know, kind of next to each other, whether you have separators or not, you hear, uh, are blessed with enough land where you could have separate rooms, uh, for the patients so that they can talk about whatever they'd like. They can actually close the door behind themselves. With the bud tender. Do you call them bud tenders or do you call them? You call them, but tenders we do a better word. I'm just going to say maybe we could, we could use a better word. They're all right, but it was a different location than the one we're sitting in now. What did you find this building? Uh, two years ago or they've been on the market. The original location was just behind this building and we'd drive past it every day.

Speaker 4: I started out at three quarters of a million dollar ask and sits there for seven years and got down to about 400,000 and we're able to purchase it.

Speaker 3: That's conventional financing. How much can we talk about that? Just that we have a local bank

Speaker 4: the in and I think that it's because we're long time community members and solid citizens and then sort of known in the community and it wasn't a, Oh, this cannabis group is slipping from money, it's the Peterson's are trying to do this. And

Speaker 3: so anybody a worst, anything, uh, who, uh, is in the legal cannabis industry who has, you know, mostly dispensary folks. But other folks too, I'm absolutely say how important it is for you to be a part of the community because that's what the whole thing is. And by that I mean life, right? So every business to some degree has a relationship with the community. They're in even more, more important for, for cannabis businesses to do. So shed some more light on that. As far as the relationships that you have in the community that you're in, why is this so important beyond the obvious? Well, especially in Maine, you need approval to a site, your cannabis establishment in their community and they want to know that your reliable. When we, we just recently moved to Bridgeton, we're able to acquire a, a large building up there and it took four appearances before the planning board just to get change, abuse, and they met monthly, right? So

Speaker 4: it took awhile, took awhile. I was on tv a lot, but it gave me a chance to bring the community up to speed. And the gentleman who was going to rent us the building, uh, said, Geez, I want to sell it. And I said, well, I want to buy it, but I don't have any money. And so what do you got? Nice. Well I got 75,000. So we're bullying. And what do you think about guns?

Speaker 3: Let me just say your beings. That's true. Is what a right. I mean that you're not giving examples of valuable things. This is what you picked was my earnest money. How does a guy like you? I understand how you have guns. How do you have a bunch of silver bullion? Does it go back to the currency trading or what? It was a white Jew, K guy. You were preparing us for the inevitable, which was nothing but go on. Lot of people spend a lot of time to fix them. That also, right? Yeah. No, that was a whole industry of, of, you know, because all the computers were only two digits that needed to be four digits because of the years was going to bring everything back to 1900. And so there was an entire industry of updating everybody to make sure that no one went back all the way to 1900.

Speaker 4: Yeah. So that's when we moved the family up here, a 63 acre farm and got out of the urban setting. And, and uh, at that time silver was five bucks an ounce and so we sold our businesses and instead of putting it as a bank, we invested in silver and gold. And so

Speaker 3: you still have some of the gold, I'm sure. Right. Um, and then just physically, if I may, I might not want to share this. Do you actually have the bullying or is it a held somewhere

Speaker 4: for you? What was actually the sitting is a earnest money. I've not taken aback. It's so we put it in a safe spot and uh, uh, no, I just being held in trust at the moment. Um, but you know, anything about silver, it is heavy. It was the, that was like 750 pounds of silver and it's hard to walk off with

Speaker 3: I would imagine. All right, so 750 pounds of silver and then the guns. How many guns did, where were you able to make part of this deal?

Speaker 4: My Dad had left me three engraved colt pistols that were box and were very valuable and so we use that also.

Speaker 3: Alright, now let's, let's take this path as far as far sconces is something that you hold near and dear shit. Obviously your father was a gun enthusiast so that kind of gets passed down I would imagine.

Speaker 4: Yeah. My Dad with the, well not me, but the stage was like 400 long and 250 pistols and hundreds of powder horns and went from 17 forties to modern day and took four years to catalog is collection. That was another thing I had to do because you go by different mince and marks on these three m industrial age produced pieces in the old days they were all hand produced in the makers would score them with their name and you just have to figure out what you had. I don't like to put anything to auction without knowing what it was. And this was my mother's estate. So I wanted to handle that and kept saying, would you leave records? We're just going to put them on the front lawn for a nickel and if you don't and, but he never left a break.

Speaker 3: So I had to read creatives and there you go. And so, so I'm uh, someone that does not have a gun. I've fired one gun once, um, and I don't think I'll ever own a gun. Um, but as far as, uh, your gender, if uh, you would like to be male and you're not currently mail. I dig it. If you're a, if you like guns and you would like to own guns, I dig it. I, that's your business is how I see it. Right? What might folks. No, not understand about a gun enthusiast or about the importance of guns to someone that finds them.

Speaker 4: Well they, they are just a tool to flake graphite, carrie and,

Speaker 3: and not count.

Speaker 4: It is better to have in a and not need the need and not have um, so just, I like to have a full tool kit. So with me and the Second Amendment for me is the citizens' ability to uh, approach a radical government that you have to have a balance of power and the government at some point may need overthrowing and only free mental and guns. So you should just, civic duty is like the Swiss Swiss mail. You actually have a machine gun in your basement and

Speaker 3: yeah, you're required just like Israelis have to serve in the military. Swish, you got to have a machine. Yeah.

Speaker 4: Yeah. And that's where you can at a moment's notice a massive forests if an invading army were to approach. And so it's just grew up in the world. I went and animals and so, so just part of

Speaker 3: my existence. And there's an entire spectrum of reasons that you just gave a. and I think Thomas Jefferson, uh, uh, said that, uh, actually he expected a revolution every few years, right?

Speaker 4: The tree of liberty needs to be watered with the blood of Patriots and, uh, uh, government officials, I forget the correct term,

Speaker 3: his, his words better than mine, certainly. Um, so, okay. So, so that, that kind of brings us back towards, uh, politics and, uh, again for, I think that folks in the industry think that for the most part it's a, it's left leaning as far as the interviews that I've done, I've spoken to, I feel like a plenty of folks that come from the right. I've been told that I, you know, the subject who I'm interviewing would not vote for a Democrat ever again. I've, I've been told that definitely more than once. So, so I do think, speaking of spectrums that we do have a spectrum, uh, in, in our, uh, in our industry. You, I'm specifically just had a recent trip though that I'd love to discuss. Ryan, I'm sure you went out to California before you went out to California or DC. Anything special happening over? We're done for the inauguration.

Speaker 4: Were there rohrabacher had a liberty ball at the library of Congress and if you're invited to these events, you want to go to support Dana and support the industry and say, you know, we're, we're still here to be part of the solution.

Speaker 3: Alright, so Dana Rohrabacher I've spoken to on this podcast, you will definitely there with my friend John Davis, who we've spoken to many times, people thought was a huckabee o p, he's much smaller than Huckabee and I mean that as a compliment to John of course, but take us through, you know, how, how, you know, Dana, I mean obviously we've been at a couple different events. How do you know Dana and, and how you know that relationship has become one, which would mean that you would be invited to such a thing.

Speaker 4: David is just been a great champion for us in the cannabis community. The, the robotic or Farr amendment has skipped the doj from extending any monies towards legally sanctioned medical cannabis folks. And we're grateful for that. I mean, I used to say I faced 10 years minimum mandatory and it's probably close to the life that fits everyone to say, Mr Peterson, would you please come with us and you don't get to use in your defense, in federal court, the fact that you are a state licensed provider, it's not introducible. Um, so it's just, I'd like to take care of this situation and I think it's actually a very appropriate time to have congress deal with it instead of memos, memos, the Cole memo, but federal legislation would be, this is a good time to do this.

Speaker 3: I completely agree with you as far as, uh, you know, a roar backer and now blumenauer starting to cannabis caucus, which is great. We hope that they call it cannabis caucus to marijuana caucus. I thought that was already done. That's not already done.

Speaker 4: I've heard it a yesterday. That was up in the air. They hadn't figured that out.

Speaker 3: Okay. Alright. Well you, I'm sure we can do now there's racial overtones to, to, to marijuana. I'm happy to hear that, uh, that you, you don't like the term behind there. Is that, why?

Speaker 4: Well, I like words and you use words to be specific and marijuana is a slang word. It is in the state. A couple of years ago in Maine wanting to get rid of kief and hash make it illegal.

Speaker 3: I said the words themselves, well, the product

Speaker 4: and you said cheese, you've got this leafy matter and you've got your trek home sitting on the leaf and they fall off along with the pistols and the little hairs and it's like the bottom of a bag of sprinkled donuts, you know, it just, uh, and, and Hash is just filtered tricombs and that's what we needed. That's how we started to dos are a different delivery system. So you've mixed hash and with coconut oil and helps the lies that we didn't have the sophistication of extraction equipment in the beginning there. And um, you know, and it's not even, you'd have to say we need to bend tricombs and we need to be frank homes.

Speaker 3: This tells you that when you were able to, to educate folks, obviously, was that, uh, stopped right there based on information. We wrote a lot of legislation and we killed a lot of legislation. All right. Well anyway, so we're talking about this cannabis caucus and I mean, what we're now going, we're coming into this new administration, which, uh, you know, you, you've seen a jeff sessions, a not great things about cannabis. Um, you know, uh, our current president has also said things that aren't great for cannabis. He said a couple of things that seem okay. Um, but you never know it, it seems like, um, there isn't certainty. The only thing that's certain it seems right now is that there is no certainty justice far as canvas. I'm only gone with this one. One topic, one, one issue. Um, did you get any sense from being at the inauguration, you know, and, and at the Liberty Ball specifically, that there maybe is a little bit more certainty or not. What did you come away with?

Speaker 4: Well, I appreciate it. When Jeff sessions, his testifying for the committee, say, my job is to uphold the law. I can't say I'm not going to enforce that. Right. And that puts it back on Congress. If Congress doesn't want him to enforce it, then we change the change the law. Right? And I think that president trump is pragmatic. He wants jobs, he wants manufacturing, he wants additional revenue because if you cut taxes and reduce the amount of revenue in the federal government's, the you will need to come up with additional revenue streams. And cannabis can do that. Cannabis can absolutely do. That. Has done that. You're not federally, right? Oh, I think in Maine that's going to be three or $400, million dollar build out. I think that there's easily 40,000 jobs that are going to be created and it's not only the sales taxes, the income tax on the jobs and the meals tax and the lodging tax and roll those all up. And you start to actually see some serious money. Sure. Potential there. And we, we complain about 400 jobs leaving. We should think about the fourth thousand jobs that are coming. If we do this correctly.

Speaker 3: There you go. In and my lifetime, uh, budgeting hasn't been taken too seriously at the federal level. Why all of a sudden would we take budgeting seriously so that we could introduce cannabis as a solution?

Speaker 4: Well, it, it's, there is um, a talk of having a federal excise tax and that would be a great offset if we could get rid of, to add short and that's what gets people thinking on the federal side. They're not interested in eliminating to add, but when you say, Geez, this means that maybe if we throw you some money and allow us to make money because according to my accountant about an 85 percent effective tax rate that we pay a try. This is, this is not a big money maker. Um, is just, it's time to do proof of concept and not worried about making money because it's not there right now. It's very. And just the regulations, there's a lot of cost to it if you were doing it within the rules.

Speaker 3: Agreed. And so then, I mean, the fact that you're talking about a federal excise tax, uh, makes me think so many things. What the first thing that I thought was, Ooh, good. Because legitimacy and then we're fine federally, but as far as patients as well as the industry, dispensary owners like yourselves, how are we going to afford an echo for a federal excise tax in addition to everything that's being paid? What, what do you say to that? Well, the, I can't believe that I'm getting you to defend taxes by the way.

Speaker 4: Well, it's the, uh, outcome. Yeah, it's in. This is how the game was played. Sure.

Speaker 3: Okay. So, so the outcome and let me know because I kind of joked a little bit, I am not judging the neither the outcome being yes. If the federal government recognizes us then we are ahead no matter how much it costs us and no matter how much it costs the patients basically, you know, let's take this step if we can. Is that fair?

Speaker 4: It is fair. You often have to take, uh, take regulations that are, are not appropriate and live with them and then change them. You can't wait for perfect legalization bill. There's always going to be things that need tweaking, but you, um, you just, some of the things that are disturbing at the moment are the high taxes. Sure. States are, I think are now realizing that the high tax just fosters the black market and if they reduce the taxes that makes the legal side more competitive and uh, you know, having a taxable exchange compared to a non taxable event. And so it's the cities and towns that are asking for tribute, not of Massachusetts. It might cost you a quarter of a million dollars off the top payments with city to allow you to, um, to go into that spot. And she's, that's a, that takes all of your money away. It is. But I think that you eventually will get to a point where it is fair and everyone gets a little bit main. We are trying to do a 10 percent tax, uh, which is actually only four and a half percent about the sales tax. So that's

Speaker 3: which anybody in any other industries would sound like ed not done but in cannabis. And that's not so bad. But again, adding that federal excise tax on top of it, basically you're saying, hey, we gotta do we gotta do it's, it's an approach. Okay, fair enough. It's an approach which, you know, makes it more legal and a legalization would be the key I guess.

Speaker 4: Well, if we were treated like any other business, you wouldn't have to depend on investors who want equity. They want it is a, another thing that's very difficult to. This is how costly this can be. So

Speaker 3: he got the bullying right. Alright. So I take that to mean that you're pretty bullish as far as cannabis in terms of what can happen under this new administration.

Speaker 4: I'm definitely hopeful. I think it will be a lot of work, lot of coordination and pulling a lot of people together. Um, I think that it is the, the possibilities are greater that we can actually get something done. We're dealing with a businessman and that's why I worry less about jeff sessions because when he was speaking those words, he was a politician representing Alabama. Got It. And so it's a whole different story. Now.

Speaker 3: All politics is local. He was speaking to his constituency,

Speaker 4: so I, I think he is when, what is it? Twenty one percent of the population is under legal now, and 63 under medical. Ninety one under some dislet cannabis. It's a whole different picture now. It is

Speaker 3: a whole new world. Yes, that's it. All right, so, you know, I, I want to keep talking to you for like, you know, the rest of the day. Uh, I feel like you're a busy guy and I'll get to the three final questions. I'll, I'll tell you what they are and then I'll ask you them in order. What has most surprised you in cannabis? That's the first question. What has most surprised you in life? That's the second question. On the soundtrack of your life. One track one soon. W one tune that's got to be on there as far as Glenn Peterson is concerned. But first things first, what has most surprised you in canvas?

Speaker 4: Uh, I guess how quickly we have grown as a, as a industry six years ago was very, very different. And the, the pace at which we're going is very rapid. Um, they say cannabis, heres our dog ears, right. Sounds about right. Oh goodness. It was very hard to keep up with the current.

Speaker 3: Yeah. Speaking of that, you brought up 2010, you know, as far as Maine is concerned. Um, what was also written into law was a caregivers and so, you know, folks, six plants per patient. I'm a six patients. If you are yourself, a patient that you get to be number seven as a dispensary owner, but also one with your philosophy, what are your thoughts on the caregiver community here?

Speaker 4: I think it, um, well caregiving actually started in [inaudible] 99,

Speaker 3: way back when. Shorter but it, sorry, a grandfather did,

Speaker 4: got it. Picked up speed when the dispensary's came online and you have a lot of patients now being created, but they were a blessing because it allowed us to grow slowly and organically. When I started out, I couldn't find an appropriate space and sweiss part of 48 foot refrigerator, tractor trailer and I took that out and it was the grow room and we ended up with nine of those and uh, just, you know, paying for things as we went so long, um, but we couldn't continue that model and thank God I found this other building. Um, but it's, um, the problem is that there are good caregivers who are living within the spirit of the law. It was never intended to be a small business and you, and that's what it is now, sometimes big business, there are caregivers who have more lights than I do and I serve as 2000 people. So there's no, uh, inspecting or very rarely nowadays they are starting to do a little bit of it, but people have pretty much used it as a cover for the temptation is too great and everyone's got new trucks and those are big monthly payment.

Speaker 3: So you gotta I heard. Yeah. What, why did I hear? Because I've been, you know, around town a little bit and I like to talk to people. Obviously Toyota Tacoma. Is that, why is that a thing that, uh, you know, if you see a Toyota Tacoma that, that's probably a, a caregiver or something like that, I don't know, maybe it was a Toyota dealer will take cash. I just simple answers. Fair enough. And since we're still on the cannabis thing, you know, a blueberry, I also have learned on this trip that this is a main strength based on, you know, how it grows in the environment and all that. Is that, is that fair?

Speaker 4: That motor of barrier or two very popular in Maine, you have to be clever because there's no manufacturing. So you're starting in the summer, you're plowing in the winter, your sugar in the spring and you're growing pot in the fall. Um, and it's, uh, there are generational, uh, there are three generations of starting out as elite goals, swamp growers and then caregiving. And then, so it's a, we've been at it for a long time. Here in Maine is a very specific place. I mean, I just being up here, it's its own little world and happy to be that way. Is that fair? Yeah. My neighbors are great. Um, it's a, it's a wonderful state. I would not be an elected official anywhere else. I don't think what, uh, what's your current office? Uh, I, I have no longer on the finance committee. I'm trying to stay away from politics at the moment and just concentrate on cannabis. Cannabis 24 slash seven said got to be. What has most surprised you in life? Glenn Peterson? Uh,

Speaker 4: I, I, the, the lack of paying attention. I guess to close the loop there. I think that people get hypnotized by television and do not have the ability to differentiate between reality and consumerism and the nutritional level that people subject themselves to or is amazing. Uh, I'm just surprised how people lead their lives because I don't put a doctorate as I heal myself. And I just, um, most people life is like a movie. You write the script, you cast it, you started at, you edit it, you distributed it. And if you're not doing that, you're a walk on in someone else's movie and you could end up on the cutting room floor of your own life, of your own life and no sense to me. Um, and need to be challenged. I need to, uh, well a good one is actually the best start of this recipe. We just had our 30th anniversary at the end. Thank you together 35 years. And, but it's, um, you need a constant challenge. It seems. Most people who've given up and gave up really early. Um, that's the thing that surprises me that, that people are more involved in their

Speaker 3: own lives. People are living their own lives to the fullest extent. So that would be my answer on that one. And so if you're listening and you aren't doing that, you, you know, good solution would be to start doing that. Smoke a little canvas shortly. Of course, open your eyes. So on the soundtrack of your life, one track, one song that's got to be on A. I guess it would be kid rock's you never met a mother fucker quite like maybe or perfect Glenn. That's perfect, Glenn. Peter Submit. I can't wait to talk to you again. Alright, thanks for stopping by. Of course.

Speaker 1: Glen Peterson, 750 pounds of silver bullion. I mean, come on. He's truly a the one and only and it was an absolute pleasure sitting down with them and I can't wait to do it again. Thanks so much to him. Thanks so much to you for your time. Stay tuned.

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